Writing
Questions are sorted in chronological order.
Most recent ones are at the bottom.
Question on Life after Harry Potter
Do you have any plans as a writer beyond Harry Potter?
-
I have always written and I know that I always will; I would
be writing even if I hadn't been published. However, Harry
is a large and all-consuming project, and I really haven't
got time, at the moment, to decide what will come next.
(Source:
Scholastic interview
-
00-00-1998
)
Question on Length of time to write
How long did it take to write the first book?
-
Five years, although during that time I was also planning
and writing parts of the six sequels.
(Source:
Scholastic interview
-
00-00-1998
)
Question on Books before Harry Potter
Is this the first book/story you ever wrote? If not, is it
the first one ever published?
-
It is the first book I have ever published. At the time I
got the idea for Harry I had written and put aside two adult
novels.
(Source:
Scholastic interview
-
00-00-1998
)
Question on Advice for young writers
What advice would you give to young writers today?
-
I doubt a writer who has got what it takes will need me to
tell them this, but, persevere!
(Source:
Scholastic interview
-
00-00-1998
)
Question on Being a writer
Do you write by hand or on a computer?
-
I still like writing by hand. Normally I do a first draft
using pen and paper, and then do my first edit when I type
it onto my computer. For some reason, I much prefer writing
with a black pen than a blue one, and in a perfect world I'd
always use narrow feint writing paper. But I have been known
to write on all sorts of weird things when I didn't have a
notepad with me. The names of the Hogwarts Houses were
created on the back of an aeroplane sick bag. Yes, it was
empty.
(Source:
Amazon.co.uk
-
00-00-1999
)
Question on Length of time to write
How long does it take you to write a book?
-
My last book --the third in the Harry series-- took about a
year to write, which is pretty fast for me. If I manage to
finish the fourth Harry book by the summer, which is my
deadline, it will be my fastest yet -- about eight months.
(Source:
Amazon.co.uk
-
00-00-1999
)
Question on Books before Harry Potter
How long have you been writing for?
-
Nearly all my life. I had written two novels before I had
the idea for Harry, though I'd never tried to get them
published (and a good job too, I don't think they were very
good).
(Source:
UKOLN
-
00-00-1999
)
Question on Favorite books
What books did you read as a child? Have these influenced
your writing in any way?
-
It is always hard to tell what your influences are.
Everything you've seen, experienced, read, or heard gets
broken down like compost in your head and then your own
ideas grow out of that compost. Three books I read as a
child do stand out in my memory, though. One is The Little
White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge, which was probably my
favorite book when I was younger. The second is Manxmouse by
Paul Gallico, which is not Gallico's most famous book, but I
think it's wonderful. The third is Grimble, by Clement
Freud. Grimble is one of funniest books I've ever read, and
Grimble himself, who is a small boy, is a fabulous
character. I'd love to see a Grimble film. As far as I know,
these last two fine pieces of literature are out of print,
so if any publishers ever read this, could you please dust
them off and put them back in print so other people can read
them?
(Source:
Amazon.co.uk
-
00-00-1999
)
Question on Being a writer
What ingredients do you think all the Harry Potter books
need?
-
I never really think in terms of ingredients, but I suppose
if I had to name some I'd say humor, strong characters, and
a watertight plot. Those things would add up to the kind of
book I enjoy reading myself. Oh, I forgot scariness-- well,
I never set out to make people scared, but it does seem to
creep in along the way.
(Source:
Amazon.co.uk
-
00-00-1999
)
Question on Getting ideas
Where did the ideas for the Harry Potter books come from?
-
I've no idea where ideas come from and I hope I never find
out, it would spoil the excitement for me if it turned out I
just have a funny little wrinkle on the surface of my brain
which makes me think about invisible train platforms.
(Source:
Amazon.co.uk
-
00-00-1999
)
Question on Getting ideas
Where do you get your ideas from?
-
I wish I knew. Sometimes they just come (like magic) and
other times I have to sit and think for about a week before
I manage to work out how something will happen. Where the
idea for Harry Potter actually came from I really couldn't
tell you. I was travelling on a train between Manchester and
London and it just popped into my head. I spent four hours
thinking about what Hogwarts would be like - the most
interesting train journey I've ever taken. By the time I got
off at King's Cross many of the characters in the books had
already been invented.
(Source:
UKOLN
-
00-00-1999
)
Question on Life after Harry Potter
How do you envision your future?
-
Well, I'll be writing, and that's about all I know. I've
been doing it all my life and it is necessary to me -- I
don't feel quite normal if I haven't written for a while. I
doubt I will ever again write anything as popular as the
"Harry" books, but I can live with that thought quite
easily. By the time I stop writing about Harry, I will have
lived with him for 13 years, and I know it's going to feel
like a bereavement. So I'll probably take some time off to
grieve, and then on with the next book!
(Source:
Salon interview, Margaret Weir
-
31-03-1999
)
Question on Advice for young writers
In both Harry Potter books, your vocabulary is
extraordinarily rich and inventive. How does one encourage
children to cultivate a bank of words like this?
-
I always advise children who ask me for tips on being a
writer to read as much as they possibly can. Jane Austen
gave a young friend the same advice, so I'm in good company
there.
(Source:
Salon interview, Margaret Weir
-
31-03-1999
)
Question on Being a single mother
The advertising copy for your book says that you were a
struggling single mother when writing "Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone." Could you tell more about that time?
-
In fact, I wasn't a struggling single mother all the time
that I was writing the first "Harry" book. It was only
during the final year of writing that I found myself poorer
than I'd ever been before. Obviously, continuing to write
was a bit of a logistical problem: I had to make full use of
all the time that my then-baby daughter slept. This meant
writing in the evenings and during nap times. I used to put
her into the pushchair and walk her around Edinburgh, wait
until she nodded off and then hurry to a cafe and write as
fast as I could. It's amazing how much you can get done when
you know you have very limited time. I've probably never
been as productive since, if you judge by words per hour.
(Source:
Salon interview, Margaret Weir
-
31-03-1999
)
Question on Reception of the books
What was it like when you realized the book was a success?
-
It sounds a bit twee, but nothing since has matched the
moment when I actually realized that "Harry" was going to be
published. That was the realization of my life's ambition --
to be a published author -- and the culmination of so much
effort on my part. The mere fact that I would see my book on
a bookshelf in a bookshop made me happier than I can say. I
had been very realistic about the likelihood of making a
living out of writing children's books -- I knew it was
exceptionally rare for anybody to do it -- and that didn't
worry me. I prayed that I would make just enough money to
justify continuing to write, because I am supporting my
daughter single-handedly. I was hoping I would be able to
teach part-time (by this time I was working as a French t
eacher) and still write a bit. Three months after British
publication, my agent called me at about eight one evening
to tell me there was an auction going on in New York for the
book. They were up to five figures. I went cold with shock.
By the time he called back at 10 p.m., it was up to six
figures. At 11 p.m., my American editor, Arthur Levine,
called me. The first words he said to me were: "Don't
panic." He really knew what I was going through. I went to
bed and couldn't sleep. On one level I was obviously
delighted, but most of me froze. For the first time ever in
my life, I got writer's block. The stakes seemed to have
gone up a lot, and I attracted a lot of publicity in Britain
for which I was utterly unprepared. Never in my wildest
imaginings had I pictured my face in the papers --
particularly captioned, as they almost all were, with the
words "penniless single mother." It is hard to be defined by
the most difficult part of your life. But that aspect of the
story is, thankfully, receding a little in Britain; the
books are now the story, which suits me fine.
(Source:
Salon interview, Margaret Weir
-
31-03-1999
)
Question on Chamber of secrets
What did you have to do to make sure readers could start
with Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and not be
confused?
-
It's becoming more of a challenge to keep new readers up to
speed with every new Harry book (I'm currently writing the
fourth). In the case of Chamber of Secrets, matters were
relatively straightforward; I tried to introduce information
about Harry and his first year at Hogwarts in as natural a
way as possible. However, by the time I reach books V and
VI, this is going to be much harder. It makes me think of
"Previously on ER..." when you have to watch 30 minutes of
clips to understand that week's episode. Maybe I'll just
write a preface: "Previously in Harry Potter..." and tell
readers to go back and read books I-IV!
(Source:
Borders.com interview
-
00-06-1999
)
Question on Place to write
Do you have to sit in a special place to write?
-
No, I can write anywhere. i made up the names of the
characters on a sick bag while I was on an airplane. I told
this to a group of kids and a boy said, "Ah, no, that's
disgusting." And I said, "Well, I hadn't used the sick bag."
(Source:
Nickelodeon Magazine
-
00-00-2000
)
Question on Getting ideas
How did you come up with the idea for the first Harry Potter
book?
-
The idea came to me while I was on the train. I dived into
my bag for paper and a pen. I had the paper, But I didn't
have the pen. So I just sat there for four hours and thought
of lots of stuff that actually ended up being in the book.
My brain just went crazy. The moment I got home, I wrote
furiously, sheets and sheets.
(Source:
Nickelodeon Magazine
-
00-00-2000
)
Question on Life after Harry Potter
Are you going to write a book about other characters than
Harry Potter?
-
Yes, when I've finally finished all seven Harry Potter
books, I will write something else.
(Source:
Chat session
-
03-02-2000
)
Question on Help in writing the books
Did you have any help writing any of the books?
-
No, I did it all by myself! :-)
(Source:
Chat session
-
03-02-2000
)
Question on Outlining the plot
Did you make up the plot in every aspect first by charting
the characters and knowing exactly what you would do with
them, or did you just piece a lot of it together as you
wrote?
-
I always have a basic plot outline, but I like to leave some
things to be decided while I write. It's more fun. :-)
(Source:
Chat session
-
03-02-2000
)
Question on Titles of the 7 books
Do you already have titles for all seven Harry Potters?
-
Yes, I do. And I'm still not going to tell you what they
are. ;-)
(Source:
Chat session
-
03-02-2000
)
Question on Hogwarts
Do you have an actual floorplan for Hogwarts? Do you use it
when writing the books?
-
I haven't drawn it, because it would be difficult for the
most skilled architect to draw, owing to the fact that the
staircases and the rooms keep moving. However, I have a very
vivid mental image of what it looks like.
(Source:
Chat session
-
03-02-2000
)
Question on Place to write
Do you still write in cafes, or do you have to stay out of
public places while you write so people won't bother you?
-
I still write in cafes, but I go to different ones now!
(Source:
Chat session
-
03-02-2000
)
Question on Life after Harry Potter
Do you think that you will write about Harry after he
graduates from Hogwarts? Isn't there a University of
Wizardry?
-
No, there's no University for Wizards. At the moment I'm
only planning to write seven Harry Potter books. I won't say
"never," but I have no plans to write an eighth book.
(Source:
Chat session
-
03-02-2000
)
Question on Writing daily
Do you write every day, and for how long do you write?
-
I write nearly every day. Some days I write for ten or
eleven hours. Other days I might only write for three hours.
It really depends on how fast the ideas are coming.
(Source:
Chat session
-
03-02-2000
)
Question on Jessica Rowling
Does your daughter help you with ideas for the books?
-
No, the ideas are all my own. But my daughter does love the
books. :-)
(Source:
Chat session
-
03-02-2000
)
Question on Length of time to write
How long does it take to write one Harry Potter book?
-
It depends. The quickest, so far, was a year.
(Source:
Chat session
-
03-02-2000
)
Question on Advice for young writers
What would your advice be to any other young people that
would want to write stories?
-
The most important thing is to read as much as you can, like
I did. It will give you an understanding of what makes good
writing and it will enlarge your vocabulary. And it's a lot
of fun! And also, start by writing about things you know --
your own experiences, your own feelings. That's what I do.
(Source:
Chat session
-
03-02-2000
)
Question on Life after Harry Potter
When the seventh book in the series is finished, are you
going to start on a new topic?
-
Yes, but what it is, I don't yet know!
(Source:
Chat session
-
03-02-2000
)
Question on Being a writer
Do you have any sort of target audience when you write these
books?
-
Me. I truly never sat down and thought, What do I think kids
will like? I really, really was so inflamed by the idea when
it came to me because I thought it would be so much fun to
write. In fact, I don't really like fantasy. It's not so
much that I don't like it, I really haven't read a lot of
it. I have read "Lord of the Rings," though. I read that
when I was about 14. I didn't read "The Hobbit" until I was
in my 20s--much later. I'd started "Harry Potter" by then,
and someone gave it to me, and I thought, Yeah, I really
should read this, because people kept saying, "You've read
'The Hobbit,' obviously?" And I was saying, "Um, no." So I
thought, Well, I will, and I did, and it was wonderful. It
didn't occur to me for quite a while that I was writing
fantasy when I'd started "Harry Potter," because I'm a bit
slow on the uptake about those things. I was so caught up in
it. And I was about two thirds of the way through, and I
suddenly thought, This
(Source:
Newsweek, Malcolm Jones
-
10-07-2000
)
Question on Banning the Harry Potter books
Every time writers get immensely successful, they draw the
ire of some reactionary group. In your case it seems to be
people accusing you of encouraging Devil worship.
-
We've always watched it happen to every damn thing that got
popular. With the people who wanted to accuse me of Satan
worship, I was full on for arguing it out with them face to
face. But you know you're not going to change their views.
The only thing I have argued forcibly is that the idea of
censorship deeply offends me. They have the absolute right,
of course, to decide what their children read. I think
they're misguided, but they have that right. But to prevent
other people's children from reading something, at that
point, I would be very happy to face them and argue that one
out. I think it's completely unjustifiable.
(Source:
Newsweek, Malcolm Jones
-
10-07-2000
)
Question on Being a writer
Has writing changed you personally?
-
Yes, it has made me happier. Finishing them has made me
happier. Before I wrote the Potter books, I'd never finished
a novel. I came close to finishing two. It also makes me
happy that the one thing I thought I could do, I wasn't
deluded. Because I'm not much use at anything else, if the
truth be told. I'm a moderate teacher, and I enjoy teaching,
but I had some office jobs, and anyone who worked with me
will tell you that I was the most disorganized person that
ever walked this earth. I wasn't good. I'm not proud of
that. I don't think it's charming and eccentric. I really
should have been better at it, but I really am just all over
the place when it comes to organizing myself.
(Source:
Newsweek, Malcolm Jones
-
10-07-2000
)
Question on Life after Harry Potter
Have you thought about life after Harry Potter?
-
I definitely have thought about it, but I've made no
decisions at all. I will definitely be writing. I literally
don't quite feel right if I haven't written for a while. A
week is about as long as I can go without getting extremely
edgy. It's like a fix. It really is a compulsion. Yeah, so I
have ideas, but they could be all rubbish.
(Source:
Newsweek, Malcolm Jones
-
10-07-2000
)
Question on Getting ideas
Are you forever stashing ideas? Writers are forever
scribbling and saying this is a perfect idea. Is that your
method?
-
Yeah. I actually had an idea this morning on the train as I
got out of bed. Suddenly I thought, oh, that's how we could
do it in Book Five. So, yes, it's wonderful when that
happens, when it just comes to you.
(Source:
CBC's Evan Solomon
-
13-07-2000
)
Question on Killing characters off
Characters take on their own lives, have their own stories.
Writers often say, "I loved that character and the most
tragic part of my year was having to kill him off".
(Source:
CBC's Evan Solomon
-
13-07-2000
)
Question on Character Albus Dumbledore
Do you have more fun writing the evil characters? Because
Lord Voledmort is the quintessential evil character.
-
Yeah, he's a bad one. Do I have more fun? I loved writing
Dumbledore and he is the epitome of goodness. But I loved
writing Rita.
(Source:
CBC's Evan Solomon
-
13-07-2000
)
Question on Getting ideas
The legend is that your first book came to you all at once.
Is that true?
-
No, Harry came to me. Hogwarts came to me. But no, it didn't
come to me all at once, not in its entirety, but many of the
characters did come in a kind of epiphany. Yes, it really
was. I had this four-hour train journey. It shouldn't have
been four hours, but the train was delayed. And Harry was
there in my mind. The inhabitants of the castle were there.
Harry's scar was there. It's a very strange thing, but I
know I'm not alone in this among writers. It was as though I
was given a piece of information and I just had to find out
the rest of the information. It wasn't really as though I
was inventing it. I was working backwards and forwards to
see what must have happened. They're fairly complex plots at
times, and it took a couple of years to work out the whole
thing properly.
(Source:
CBC's Evan Solomon
-
13-07-2000
)
Question on Sequence of writing
Are you writing all the books at the same time, like in
little pieces, while concentrating mostly on the present
one, or do you just have a general idea about them?
-
During the first five years that I was writing the series, I
made plans and wrote small pieces of all the books. I
concentrate on one book at a time, though occasionally I
will get an idea for a future book and scribble it down for
future reference.
(Source:
Chat session
-
16-10-2000
)
Question on Character Mad Eye Moody
Can you give an example of a surprise in your writing
process, such as a character you weren't expecting?
-
Yes, it was a big surprise to me that Mad Eye Moody turned
out the way he did. I really like him. I didn't expect to.
(Source:
Chat session
-
16-10-2000
)
Question on Writer's block
Do you ever get writer's block? What do you do when this
happens?
-
I've only suffered writer's block badly once, and that was
during the writing of Chamber of Secrets. I had my first
burst of publicity about the first book and it paralysed me.
I was scared the second book wouldn't measure up, but I got
through it!
(Source:
Chat session
-
16-10-2000
)
Question on Picturing the characters
Do you imagine the pictures or images in your head before
you write, or do you have to draw them?
-
I imagine them very clearly and then attempt to describe
what I can see. Sometimes I draw them for my own amusement!
(Source:
Chat session
-
16-10-2000
)
Question on Being a writer
Do you like being a writer?
-
I love being a writer. I am very lucky my life's ambition
turned out to be just as much fun as I thought it would be.
(Source:
Chat session
-
16-10-2000
)
Question on Influence of popularity
Has the huge popularity of Harry Potter changed the
direction of the plot in any way?
-
No, not at all. People have asked me whether Rita Skeeter
was invented for that purpose, but in fact she was always
planned. I think I enjoyed writing her a bit more than I
would have done if I hadn't met a lot of journalists,
though!
(Source:
Chat session
-
16-10-2000
)
Question on Getting ideas
How did you think of all the cool things that happened to
Harry?
-
Sometimes the ideas just come to me. Other times I have to
sweat and almost bleed to make ideas come. It's a mysterious
process, but I hope I never find out exactly how it works. I
like a mystery, as you may have noticed
(Source:
Chat session
-
16-10-2000
)
Question on Getting bored while writing
How do you write the really long books without getting
bored?
-
Oh dear...does that mean you get bored reading them?! I
never get bored with the writing. I could (and often do)
write all day and evening.
(Source:
Chat session
-
16-10-2000
)
Question on Editing
How painful is the editing process for you? Compared with
writing a first draft, how long do you spend editing? Who do
you conference with?
-
I work with my editors. I enjoy the editing process, but I
edit fairly extensively myself before my editors get to see
the book, so it's never a very long job.
(Source:
Chat session
-
16-10-2000
)
Question on Books getting darker each part
My impression is that the Harry books are getting "darker"
somehow. Is this because he is growing up, and his readers
have to do the same?
-
It's really because Voldemort is getting more powerful, but
yes, also because Harry is fourteen now. At fourteen, you
really do start realising that the world is not a safe and
protected place or not always.
(Source:
Chat session
-
16-10-2000
)
Question on When she started writing
What got you started writing? And how did you get your
breakthrough to get the first book published?
-
I've been writing since I was six. It is a compulsion, so I
can't really say where the desire came from; I've always had
it. My breakthrough with the first book came through
persistence, because a lot of publishers turned it down!
(Source:
Chat session
-
16-10-2000
)
Question on Life after Harry Potter
Will you ever write an official autobiography?
-
No, I don't think so. My life is really very boring. You
wouldn't want to read about me cleaning out the rabbit cage!
(Source:
Chat session
-
16-10-2000
)
Question on Character Harry Potter
Did you consider having a girl be the main character?
-
Well, I didn't -- purely because Harry came to me as a boy.
And after I'd been writing about him for a few months, he
was too real to me to change. However, Hermione is such a
good friend too, that I don't feel I have short-changed
girls!
(Source:
AOL Chat hosted by Jesse Kornbluth
-
19-10-2000
)
Question on Favorite books
Have you ever been inspired by another author?
-
The author with whom I identify most is E. Nesbit. She did
some great, funny fairy tales.
(Source:
AOL Chat hosted by Jesse Kornbluth
-
19-10-2000
)
Question on Getting ideas
Why did you write about witchcraft and wizardry?
-
I had the idea of a boy who was a wizard and didn't yet know
what he was. I never sat down and wondered, "What shall I
write about next?". It just came, fully formed.
(Source:
AOL Chat hosted by Jesse Kornbluth
-
19-10-2000
)
Question on Advice for young writers
What advice would you give to your writers?
-
You have to resign yourself to the fact that you waste a lot
of trees before you write anything you really like, and
that's just the way it is. It's like learning an instrument,
you've got to be prepared for hitting wrong notes
occasionally, or quite a lot, cause I wrote an awful lot
before I wrote anything I was really happy with. And read a
lot. Reading really helps. Read anything you can get your
hands on.
(Source:
Vancouver writers' festival
-
25-10-2000
)
Question on Character Harry Potter
Why did you choose a male character as the lead instead of a
female?
-
Good question. I wondered about that after I wrote about him
for 6 months. I wondered why isn't it Harriet instead of
Harry? And it was too late, because Harry came to me (I
didn't have to stop and think very hard about my hero)
almost fully formed, I could see him very clearly. And by
the time I stopped and wondered why is it a boy, it really
was too late. He was very real to me as a boy. And of course
I had Hermione, and I love Hermione as a character, and they
couldn't do it without Hermione. I think she is a very
strong female character, but then I would, since she is
based on me, so I'm bound to be quite fond of her.
(Source:
Vancouver writers' festival
-
25-10-2000
)
Question on Life after Harry Potter
Do you know what you will go on to next after book 7?
-
Well, while I was in between 4 and 5, during the three years
I've just had, I was writing something else for a while
which was really great, it was good, and I might go back to
that. I don't know. It's something completely different. It
was very liberating to do it.
(Source:
Newsnight interview, Jeremy Paxton
-
19-06-2003
)
Question on Outlining the plot
How do you keep up with plot lines?
-
I have these grid things for every book - well I have about
12 grid things for every book. It's just a way of reminding
myself what has to happen in each chapter to advance us in
the plot. And then you have all your sub-plots. It's just a
way of keeping track of what going on.
(Source:
Newsnight interview, Jeremy Paxton
-
19-06-2003
)
Question on Writer's block
You didn't have writer's block while writing Order of the
Phoenix, but it has taken three years since the last one
didn't it? Why has it taken so long?
-
Well it hasn't. The book didn't take that long. I decided...
when I finished Goblet of Fire, I said to - there were only
two publishers who had bought the next book - and I said to
both of them, I want to repay my advance. And both of them,
you could almost hear them having cardiac arrest on the end
of the phone. "Why do you want to repay your advance?" And I
said, because I don't want to publish next year. I want to
write this book in a more leisurely way and I want to take
some time off. Because when I had finished Philosopher's
Stone, I literally started Chamber of Secrets that
afternoon. I finished Chamber of Secrets, I started Prisoner
of Azkaban the next day. And I finished Azkaban and I'd
already started Goblet of Fire because they overlapped - so
there was absolutely no let-up. And I knew I couldn't do it.
I just knew I couldn't do it; my brain was going to short
circuit if I tried to do that again. So they said "Well, how
about we do still get the book when you finish it, but we
don't have a deadline?" So I said okay. So that's how we
worked it. So there was no deadline. So, just once and for
all, and for the record, I didn't miss the deadline. Because
there was no deadline.
(Source:
Newsnight interview, Jeremy Paxton
-
19-06-2003
)
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